Nemawashi
by Little Miss Bunny
Summary: Naruto just wanted to thank the man who had saved him, willingly or not. A small token of kindness could go a long way. Maybe they could all find the light at the end of the tunnel soon... Older!Tsuna. Canon Divergent. Not a reincarnation fic.
1. Chapter 1

_Nemawashi – the idea that people, like flowers, bloom in their own time and their own individual ways_

* * *

The world wasn't as bright as Naruto imagined.

Sometimes, he'd think about things that made him feel bad afterwards, like if he had enough ramen at his small apartment or if the milk he bought was okay for once. Sometimes, he'd think about the Academy and wonder if he could ever become a shinobi. Sometimes, he'd think how different everything would be if he had his Mama or Papa or both.

He wasn't that stupid like his teachers said. He wasn't blind or deaf either. He could see and hear how the other villagers looked at him whenever he walked on the streets and hear what they whispered about him. They looked at him like he looked at the dumpster behind his apartment. What was so hard about putting some puzzle pieces together? He wasn't Shikamaru or Sakura, but his brain worked sometimes.

Yawning, Naruto stretched his arms in the air. "Ah, I'm full!"

After eating several bowls of ramen at Ichiraku Ramen, his stomach felt like it could explode. It was around sunset time and there were still plenty of villagers in the streets, buying whatever they needed at shops and food stands. There were even some Chūnin shinobi. Naruto quickly looked away when one of them glared at him. He shuffled past the woman awkwardly and kept his eyes on his toes.

He suddenly grunted when he crashed into a barrel and tumbled to the ground. Cold water splashed onto his body, making him yelp. Immediately, someone came running out of a nearby store and gasped.

"You—Brat, what did you do?" the thin man said, pointing at the soaked boy.

Naruto shook his head, sending water droplets flying from his hair. He grinned sheepishly. "Hey, uh, I didn't mean to spill it."

He squeaked when the man hauled him up by his shirt and shook him. "You little brat, you're going to the woods and refilling that barrel! You got that?"

Naruto widened his eyes. "What? Wait, I—"

The shop owner scoffed. "Look at you. Don't you have any respect for your elders? What's with the way you speak to me, huh?" He shook Naruto harder, making the boy's teeth rattle. "Learn to take responsibility, eh? You and y—"

The man's hand suddenly let go of Naruto. The two blinked before looking at the interruption. A small crowd had gathered, their whispers an incessant buzz in Naruto's ears, but he didn't pay any attention to them. His eyes locked onto the young man that had swiped the shop owner's hand away. He didn't look like anyone Naruto had seen before and he had seen a lot of people. His hair was brown and a little fluffy, which was kind of funny, but his eyes—Naruto had seen the same eyes in some shinobi and even Jiji sometimes. He didn't look like a shinobi, with his dirt-streaked white shirt and black pants, but there was something about him that screamed danger despite his soft face.

"You're in my way," the man said, his voice smooth.

"It's him," a woman whispered.

"Sawada."

"What's _he_ doing here?"

"Heh, I thought he killed himself by now."

"Hey, he can probably hear you!"

Naruto looked back and forth between the crowd and the mysterious man. Sawada? That name kind of sounded familiar but he couldn't remember where he heard it from. He mentally pulled his hair. This was why Hoshino-sensei said that he couldn't remember anything from class! Naruto tensed when the man lightly shoved the shop owner out of the way before heading down the street, lax and unbothered by the whispers and glares. Naruto had never seen them look at someone like they looked at him.

Scrambling to his feet, he dashed to follow the man. "Sorry about the water stuff!" he said over his shoulder.

The shop owner blinked before saying, "H—Hey, come back!"

Naruto ran down another street, looking around frantically to find any signs of the man. Scratching the back of his head, he groaned. "Where the heck did he go?"

He searched the streets again and even the next district over, but the man was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he vanished into thin air.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you brat? Get back here!"

Laughing, Naruto escaped the owner's reach and dashed out of the pottery store. Some colorful paint was streaked on his shirt, hands, and face. He grinned. "I just wanted to add some life there, old man!"

The owner gaped at him. "Y—You… Get back here!"

"You're welcome!" Naruto said, sneaking through crowds of people.

He liked Sundays. There was no Academy on Sundays and Jiji sometimes came by to visit and give him little presents, too. Giggling, Naruto quickly closed his mouth and hid behind a dumpster just as the potter and his workers ran by. Their angry shouts soon faded after a few minutes. Naruto snickered under his breath. "No one can catch me," he said, sprinting out of the alley.

"—een him around?"

Naruto squeaked lightly before hiding in the shadows again. Two young women passed by and he couldn't help but blush a bit. They were both really pretty. He mentally shook his head. No, nope, never. No one would be as pretty as his sweet Sakura-chan! Still, he couldn't help but stare as the women walked down the street. He recognized them both but only from a distance. He'd seen them around but never approached them.

One of them had short, wavy black hair and scary eyes that reminded him of Ino. Well, they were cousins, even though the pretty lady didn't have blonde hair like her family did. Naruto saw her working at the flower shop a few times. She wore a dark purple sleeveless shirt and some shorts with long, open-toed boots. The other lady looked much nicer with bright eyes and a nice smile. She wore a green turtleneck shirt and a black skirt. Her short ponytail bobbed up and down with each step she took.

"Who?" the ponytail lady said. "Ah, do you mean Tsuna? Yes, he came by yesterday to get patched up." She sighed. "I don't know what he does in the Forest of Death every day, but I can't help but worry. Why do you ask, Hana-chan? Did he meet you yesterday, too?"

The scary lady scoffed. "Sawada never comes by. He knows what's in it for him if he does." She glanced at her friend. "If he does come by again, let me know. We need to talk."

Naruto tilted his head. Sawada? That name sounded really familiar. He widened his eyes, remembering the man from a few days ago. Before he could stop himself, he dashed out of his hiding spot and stumbled in front of the two women, blocking them.

"Y—You know where he is?" he said.

The scary lady narrowed her eyes, making him flinch. She looked terrifying up-close, even scarier than Ino. "What are you talking about, monkey?"

Naruto blinked. Monkey? He huffed. "I'm not a monkey! I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to become the Hokage one day, dattebayo!"

That got him nothing but an unimpressed stare and a small giggle from the ponytail lady. Naruto faltered a bit but stood his ground. Frowning, he pointed at the women and said, "I'm serious! I'm going to become Hokage in the future so—so be careful! I'm not going to let that kind of attitude go that easily!"

The ponytail lady smiled at him, making him blink. No one ever smiled like that at him; still, Naruto couldn't help but keep his guard up. "Really?" she said. "I'm sorry about that then, Future Hokage-sama."

Blushing, Naruto scratched his cheek and avoided her eyes. "O—Oh, well, I guess you're okay then. I'm not the Hokage now but I'll remember you! Um, I mean, what you said."

"Naruto-kun, right? Can I call you that?"

Naruto's face felt hot. "Oh, uh, yeah." He quickly shook his head. "But only for now! Not when I'm Hokage!"

The ponytail lady grinned. "Okay! Got it. I'm Miura Haru and this is my friend, Yamanaka Hana." She stuck out her hand, which threw Naruto off. He took a step back, eyeing it warily. Haru's smile dropped a bit but she still held it in place. "I'm not going to hurt you, Naruto-kun. It's a handshake! See." She grabbed Hana's hand, ignoring her protests, and shook it enthusiastically. "Some people do this as a way of greeting each other for the first time!"

"Stop saying useless things," Hana said, rolling her eyes. "You're going to give the monkey weird ideas."

Haru pouted. "It's not weird, Hana-chan! And stop calling him monkey!"

Naruto wasn't sure what to say or do. He just felt completely ignored by the bickering women. He was almost tempted to run away but the man from a few days ago kept him there. "Hey!" he said, making them pause. "Um, I was wondering if you knew him. Sawaha!"

Hana raised a brow. "Sawada? What do you want with him?"

Naruto perked up. "Can you tell me where he is? I tried to find him everywhere but I couldn't! He's like—like a ghost or something!"

Haru looked at him, confused. "Why are you looking for him, Naruto-kun?"

"Oh, uh…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head and looked down at his feet. "I just wanted to tell him something."

"Tell him something," Hana said, testing the words on her tongue. Naruto tensed. She really was a scary lady, probably scarier than Ino. "What do you want to tell him?"

Haru laughed a little nervously. "Hana-chan, you're scaring him. He probably wants to keep it a secret, right, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto flushed. "Um, yeah, kind of."

He silently prayed that Hana wouldn't talk to him anymore or he might spill everything. And how embarrassing was that? Telling them that he wanted to thank the mysterious Sawada man for getting him out of trouble? Hokages didn't need help from anyone and he was going to become one!

Haru smiled kindly at him. "He's a very hard person to get a hold of, right?" Naruto just nodded, relieved that Hana wasn't the one talking. "I'll tell you a secret but you can't tell anyone, okay?"

Hana pursed her lips. "Haru."

Her friend just waved her off. "He's just a kid, Hana-chan."

Naruto scowled, but it looked more like a pout. "I'm not a kid! I'm 6-years-old!"

"Still a monkey," Hana mumbled under her breath.

Haru giggled. "Of course, and the future Hokage!" Naruto blushed at that. No one ever took his dream seriously, not even his teachers at the Academy. Only Jiji did. "But promise me, Naruto-kun. You can't tell anyone, okay?"

Naruto nodded. "I promise!"

Haru leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Come to Konoha Hospital next Wednesday at 5 PM, okay? I'll take you to him." She stuck out her pinkie. "Promise?"

Naruto stared at her hand before slowly raising his own and hooking his smaller pinky around hers. His lips curled into a big grin. "Okay!"

It felt good to smile.

* * *

Waiting wasn't fun and Naruto was never patient. Wednesday just couldn't come any faster, could it?

His school lessons went in one ear and out the other like usual. Nothing different there. There was some kunai and shuriken throwing practice with Sasuke having the best aim, but that didn't bother Naruto too much like it used to. He was just waiting for Wednesday to come.

When it finally did, he bolted out of his apartment and made his way towards Konoha Hospital. It was a large white building with a red cross above the main entrance. He never liked the hospital. He only went there sometimes to get shots with Jiji and they hurt. The doctors and nurses were kind of creepy, too. They didn't speak like normal people, always talking about measurements, blood, and some other things that Naruto didn't bother to think about. They were too complicated for him anyways.

Slipping in the shadows, he peeked around the wall to see if he could find Haru anywhere amongst the wandering civilians and hospital staff on break. Naruto scratched the back of his head. "What the heck?" he said. "She said she'd be here at 5. Was she lying to me?" Their pinky promise flashed in his mind. "She promised me though…"

"What are you doing here?" a voice suddenly whispered in his ear.

Naruto shrieked and fell onto his butt. He widened his eyes when he saw Haru grinning down at him. She waved cheerfully, as if she didn't just scare him a moment ago. "Hello, Naruto-kun!"

Scrambling to his feet, Naruto tried to speak but his words failed him. "You—Why did you—How—"

Haru giggled. "You're so cute! Hey, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Naruto blushed. "W—What are you talking about?" He looked away. "I don't have anyone like that!"

Haru grinned, which sent danger signals in Naruto's brain. "Oh, but there's a girl, isn't there? Come on, you can tell me!" She thumped her chest. "Miura Haru, the best love-guru in Konoha at your service! Having lover spats or need a girlfriend? I got you all covered!"

Naruto stared at her strangely. "You're weird, Haru-san."

Haru gasped and clutched her chest in a dramatic fashion. "How could you, Naruto-kun? I'm being serious!" Suddenly, she straightened up with a smile. "Call me Haru-nee-chan, okay? Haru-san's too weird for me, too. Come on. Follow me!"

Naruto blinked at her retreating back before snapping out of it. "W—Wait for me, nee-chan!"

It didn't take long for him to catch up with the young woman. She paused for a moment until he reached her side and smiled down at him. No matter how many times she gave him a smile, Naruto couldn't help but return the gesture. She was nice, really nice compared to the other villagers. They all stared at the odd pair as they walked by, whispering under their breaths. Naruto glanced at Haru nervously but blinked when he saw her ignoring the others like they didn't exist. He looked down at his feet, which was a bit slower than Haru's elegant strides, and scowled. He was short now but soon he'd grow taller! That was what Jiji told him!

"Hey, Haru-nee-chan," he said in the almost stifling silence, "what's he like?"

"Hm?" Haru tilted her head. "Ah." She smiled, but it was sadder this time and her eyes looked distant. Naruto had seen the same look in other shinobi whenever he stuck around to hear stories about their missions at the bar, hiding behind a trash can. He didn't like it. Nothing good ever came out of that expression. "He's a very kind person. You must know that, right, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto didn't know how to respond, but his mouth worked against him at the most unhelpful times. "Eh? Well, he kind of looked scary. Just a little bit." He chewed on his lip. "I—Well, he kind of helped me, that's how I know him, and I wanted to thank him, but he disappeared really fast before I could do that."

Haru perked up at that, her eyes brightening a bit. Naruto's shoulders relaxed. Maybe his mouth wasn't that bad after all. "Really?" she said. "I'm glad to hear that. He can look a little scary but…it's because he's going through some things right now."

Naruto couldn't help himself. "What kind of things?"

Haru's voice softened. "It's a little hard for you to understand, Naruto-kun, but he's hurting."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "Hurting? Did he get hurt on a mission? Is he a shinobi? He looked pretty strong."

Haru smiled the same sad smile again. "Something like that. Come on. My apartment's nearby." She pointed at a nice gray building that almost looked like his, but it seemed brighter. "My room's right up there. See that window with the daffodils? That's mine!"

Naruto unconsciously held onto the hem of Haru's shirt when they entered the building. A couple walked out, greeting Haru cheerfully, until they saw him. Haru just gently led Naruto inside and upstairs, humming a soft tune under her breath. Her voice echoed quietly in the staircase before they reached the third floor. Her door had 306 written on it.

When Haru ushered Naruto in her apartment, the boy stood awkwardly to the side as she headed to the kitchen. Her home was a little bigger than his, with a bigger living room, and much neater. There was a green couch and a desk with some books and scrolls piled on top of it. The vase of daffodils was the most vibrant part of the whole place. Naruto jumped when Haru placed some home slippers in front of him.

"Here," she said. "You can use these. Make yourself comfortable! Would you like anything to drink? Eat? I have some snacks."

"Milk, please," Naruto said, plopping down on the couch. "Thank you."

His heart nearly skipped a beat when Haru grinned at him. "Okay!" she said.

Maybe using those good manners Jiji told him wasn't so bad. It was a little weird but Naruto could deal with it, kind of. He mentally groaned. What was he doing? For all he knew, Haru was probably tricking him and might drug him or something. He heard about some shinobi who got poisoned from drinking tea and stuff like that by their enemies. What if this was happening to him now?

 _Think things through, idiot!_ he thought.

But he remembered Haru's happy smiles, her small token of kindness, the way she looked at him like a normal person and not some trash on the road. She could just be a good actor…

"Naruto-kun?"

Blinking, Naruto shook his head before realizing that Haru had placed a tray of crackers and a cup of milk on the table. His stomach grumbled then, making him blush. Haru giggled. "Eat up," she said. "I have more so don't worry!"

Naruto gulped. His fingers twitched for the crackers until his stupid reasoning got in the way. "Where is he?" he said, looking anywhere but Haru. "He's here, right?"

 _Did you lie to me?_ went unsaid. Naruto bit his lip. Why couldn't things go right for once? Maybe he was stupid, really stupid, for thinking that this was a lucky break for him. How hard was it to tell a guy thank you? Why did it have to go this far?

"Naruto-kun," Haru said gently, "look at me, please?"

Naruto's hands balled into small fists on his lap. His head turned slowly until he saw Haru's knees. His whole body shook, bracing for a blow. In fact, it was better that way. Kindness was almost fictional to him. Getting hit by reality seemed nicer somehow.

"You can trust me," Haru said. "You don't have to now, but you can soon, at your own pace. I know this is a little strange to you but I didn't bring you here to hurt you." She laughed softly. "I'm a medic-nin. It's against my own principals to hurt anyone. I brought you here so you can meet that man. It'd be difficult to find him on your own. He's not someone who wants to be found."

Naruto peered at Haru through his lashes. She seemed…so sincere, honest. Still…

"What does that mean?" he said. "I thought he's your friend. Why doesn't he want anyone to find him?" He looked down at his lap. "Is it because he…hurts a lot?"

Before Haru could respond, a soft knock came from her door. Naruto tensed. Haru gave him a small smile. "That's him."

Naruto's heart picked up its pace and he could hear his breaths as Haru answered the door. His palms felt sweaty, so he quickly wiped them away on his shorts. The man was _here_. He was actually here. Dreaming or not, Naruto wanted to—No, _had_ to meet him.

His stomach immediately dropped when the door opened. His breath hitched. The man was leaning against the doorway, his lips bleeding. Blood—there was blood all over him. His shirt was torn and there was a bruise forming on his cheek. Haru almost screamed. "T—Tsuna-kun!" she said, supporting his weight. "What happened to you?"

The man—Tsuna, his name was Tsuna—breathed hoarsely. "Some Uchihas caught me…" he said. "For Nagi…"

With that, he slumped over, making Haru nearly fall over. She looked to Naruto with serious eyes, making him flinch. "Naruto-kun, can you get a pillow from my room and put it on the couch? Quickly!"

Naruto could only gape as Haru carried Tsuna over to the couch. "Naruto-kun, hurry!"

That snapped him out of his stupor. He clambered to his feet and immediately ran to Haru's room.

What the heck was going on?

* * *

 **A/N As a testament to my name, here you go. Another plot bunny made and ready to go. :^)**

 **So, this is a different take to the NarutoXKHR crossover. It's more like a fusion where the KHR cast belongs in the Naruto world. No reincarnations or rebirths here. This will stick with the Naruto-world, but there will be changes eventually in canon. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with Naruto's POV the whole story, but it could change. Depends on the timing, haha. Also, it's been a while since I watched Naruto so...**

 **Also, really, I didn't abandon my other stories. I'm just terrible in keeping my plot bunnies in check and being consistent with updating. Most of my writing will depend on my mood, so I'm really sorry for that. I hope you peeps can understand. :^(**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	2. Chapter 2

" _Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."_ – Mother Teresa

* * *

Naruto could only watch, stunned, as Haru's hands hovered above Tsuna's wounds and glowed green. He shuffled a little closer to get a better view before grimacing at the damages. There were several cuts and bruises on Tsuna's arms and chest, his shirt torn to the point Naruto could see his stomach.

"Tsuna-kun, what happened?" Haru said. "Multiple lacerations and bruises, three broken ribs, a swollen eye. Explain yourself."

Tsuna's breaths turned less raspy as Haru moved her glowing green hands from his stomach to his chest. "Your bedside manner…is great as usual…"

He winced when Haru glared at him. "Tsuna, _explain_."

Naruto shivered and made himself scarce by standing at the doorway. If he learned anything from the Academy, it was that girls were scary, even scarier than the boys. Haru looked like she would actually kill Tsuna and Naruto wasn't sure what to think about that. He just stared at her green hands. The teachers never talked about green chakra—well, if they did, he must've never heard it. He thought chakra was only blue. But with the way Tsuna's wounds were disappearing, maybe the green chakra was good?

"Naruto-kun," Haru said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "can you get a cup of water from the kitchen for me, please?"

Naruto flinched when Tsuna briefly glanced at him from the couch and let out a breathless laugh. "I didn't know you had a kid," he muttered.

Finding a clean cup, Naruto poured some water in it from the sink with the help of a small stepping stool. He pursed his lips, almost afraid of what Haru would say. His small fingers barely encircled the cup so he had to hold it with two hands instead.

"Tsuna," Haru said softly, "this isn't about me. Tell me what happened."

Naruto handed Haru the cup and received a nod in thanks. He peered at Tsuna's wounds, which were mostly gone. "That's so cool, Haru-nee-chan," he blurted out. "How did you do that? Hey, what was that green thing around your hands? Is that some kind of special chakra? Can I do that, too?"

A bout of silence fell before Naruto realized what he had just said. Blushing, he looked down at his slippers, which were too big for his feet. He felt small, really small. And he hated it. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

He jumped a bit when Haru laughed. "It's okay, Naruto-kun," she said. The green glow around her hands disappeared. "You don't have to apologize. You can eat the crackers and milk in the kitchen, okay?" She winked. "I'll let you know when we're done so you can tell him what you wanted to say before, alright?"

Naruto knew when the adults had to talk. Jiji did that whenever he got a message or some shinobi wanted to talk to him. Even if Naruto knew it wasn't polite, he still couldn't help listening in. His curiosity got the better of him. When he carried the tray of crackers and milk to the kitchen table, he pretended to sit by pulling out the chair, making sure it was loud enough so Haru and Tsuna could hear, and tiptoed towards the wall that blocked some of the kitchen from view. Pressing his ear against the cool surface, he scrunched his nose.

 _Are they talking or not?_ he thought.

He couldn't pick up any sound. Were they having a staring contest or something?

" _What_?" Haru suddenly said. "They did _what_?"

Gasping, Naruto fell back onto his butt. Haru soon appeared, heading towards the door with terrifying eyes. "I'm going to _kill_ them!" she said, reaching for the handle. "No, I'll harvest their stupid eyes and let them all rot!"

Naruto's eyes widened just as Tsuna grabbed Haru's wrist. "Haru," he said, "leave it."

Haru whirled around so quickly Naruto thought her neck almost snapped. "What? I can't just leave this alone, Tsuna-kun! They hurt you and now they're saying you can't see Nagi-chan anymore? What right do they have t—"

"They have the right," Tsuna said, eerily calm amidst Haru's fury. "They're her family."

Naruto furrowed his brows. Nagi? Who was Nagi? Was she another friend of theirs? Was she hurt? Did something happen between Tsuna and the Uchihas? Naruto huffed under his breath. Well, Sasuke was an Uchiha and he was all high and mighty about his skills, even if he _was_ pretty strong, and Naruto had seen some of his family members. They looked pretty scary with their serious eyes and stern brow.

"But they still can't do that!" Haru said. "To you, to Nagi-chan!"

"Enough, Haru!"

Naruto flinched when Tsuna's voice rose. His heart pumped faster in his chest and he suddenly felt hot and cold all over. Tsuna sighed, his hand dropping like deadweight from Haru's wrist. He looked older than he seemed, like the shinobi sharing stories about their missions at the bar, all fresh-faced before they took their first shot of liquor and spilled tears and war onto the table. Naruto crawled a little closer despite himself, his palms sweaty against the wooden floors.

"Just leave it," Tsuna said tiredly. "Just leave it. There's nothing we can do."

Haru inhaled sharply. Her whole body trembled. "What do you mean there's nothing we can do? Why didn't you fight back?" She weakly shoved Tsuna's shoulders and he let her. "Why won't you fight _back_? Are you going to let them keep stepping over you like that? Don't you have any pride? What kind of man are you?" Her voice rose higher and higher until she was heaving for breath, her shoulder shaking from the effort.

Naruto covered his ears and screwed his eyes shut. He hated screaming. It was loud and it _hurt_. His neighbors did that all the time, preventing him from sleeping all night. It was never his fault that he was late to the Academy. He had reasons, but his teachers called them excuses. What was the difference? It didn't matter. At the end of the day, he was still the dead last.

A long, suffocating silence hung in the apartment. For a second, Naruto didn't think he was breathing. Slowly, he cracked one eye open and peered over his shoulder. Haru and Tsuna were still standing there, not saying a word. Tears streamed down Haru's cheeks, but she didn't move to wipe them away, her eyes focused on nothing but Tsuna's hung head. Finally, Tsuna gently pushed Haru aside and headed for the door.

"Thank you for healing me, Haru," he said quietly, his voice cracking the silence.

With that, he left the apartment as quickly as he had come. Naruto gaped as he closed to the door behind him. Glancing at Haru, the boy looked away when she swiftly wiped her tears away and gave him a shaky smile. "I'm sorry about that, Naruto-kun," she said. "You couldn't tell him."

"Why is he like that?" Naruto said, standing up. "Why…What's wrong with him?"

Haru tensed. "Ah, it's just…difficult."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He'll be fine. He just needs more time."

Naruto wasn't convinced. To him, Tsuna looked weak, and not at all like he thought him to be. But there was still a small part of him that held onto the image of the man unhanding the shop owner's grip from Naruto's shirt, his frame oozing confidence and power.

"It's getting late, Naruto-kun," Haru said. "I can walk you home if you'd like."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm okay, Haru-nee-chan." He grinned widely. "Thanks for having me over! I'll see you around!"

He bolted out the door before Haru could respond. Dashing down the stairs, Naruto noticed that there wasn't any blood. How did Tsuna get in then? He burst through the doors and looked around wildly, hoping to catch the man.

Again, he had vanished like smoke.

* * *

"Naruto! Pay attention!"

Yelping, Naruto quickly straightened in his seat. "Um, forty-two!"

He blushed when the class started to laugh and grinned to save face. Scratching the back of his head, he squeaked when a chalk struck his forehead. He rubbed the sore spot, grimacing slightly. That _hurt_ and it sucked that Ito-sensei was the one teaching. Wait, Ito-sensei?

"I'd rather have you focus more of your efforts in learning the names of the Hokages rather than on taking a nap in my class," Ito-sensei said, fixing his glasses. "You still haven't learned them, have you?"

Another round of laughter filled the classroom.

"Naruto's an idiot!"

"How can you not know who they are yet? It's been a year!"

"Stupid!"

"He's never going to become a shinobi!"

Naruto slammed his hands on the table as he stood up. "H—Hey! I'm going to become Hokage someday so you better keep your traps shut! I'll—I'll remember all your faces and you're going to pay!"

This only got him more laughter.

"Whatever," his classmate, Kiba, said. "Hokage or not, I'm going to be it first, dummy!"

"Eh, but you're pretty dumb, too, Kiba," Ino said, snickering.

Kiba flushed. "S—Shut up, you little pig!"

"D—Don't call Ino-chan that!" Sakura squeaked out.

"What did you call me?" Ino said, her eyes alighting with flames. "Say it to my face, you idiot!"

Shikamaru yawned. "Troublesome."

"Everyone, quiet!" Ito-sensei said. Silence immediately fell over the classroom. "Naruto, stand outside and think about what you've done. Take the bucket with you. I better not see you slack off."

"But—"

"Now!"

* * *

Arms aching, Naruto grimaced as he rolled his shoulders. Holding a bucket of water above his head wasn't his favorite punishment.

"I wasn't the one who talked a lot," he muttered under his breath, kicking a stray pebble. Most of the students were already gone, already picked up by their parents an hour ago. Ito-sensei made sure he got the Hokage's names down before he let him go. Naruto tugged his hair. "Argh, it's not fair! It's not my fault they have such long and weird names! Hashiramba—Hashino—Gah!"

"What are you doing?"

Naruto shrieked and fell backwards onto his butt. He gaped when he saw Sasuke crouched behind a bush, his brows furrowed. The other boy stared at him strangely. Naruto pointed a shaky finger at him. "Y—You! What are you d—"

Sasuke quickly hushed him, his finger against his lips. "Be quiet!" he said. "They're going to hear you!"

As if on cue, some girls ran by, their screams deafening to Naruto's ears.

"Sasuke-kun, where are you?"

"I brought more cookies! Can you try them for me?"

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

Naruto winced as they disappeared down the street. Huffing, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his shorts. "What, so you were hiding?" he said. "What a coward. They're just a bunch of girls."

Sasuke scowled at him. "I'm not a coward. You don't know anything so don't talk like you do!"

Naruto smirked. "So you _do_ talk. Man, I thought you were like Shino or something."

"What are you talking about? Of course, I talk. What do you think I'm doing right now?"

Naruto shrugged. "I just don't see you talk a lot outside. It's kind of weird. Hey, was your voice always so squeaky?"

Red dusted Sasuke's cheeks before he composed himself. "My voice isn't squeaky. I'm just…not old enough yet."

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Sasuke stood up from his hiding spot. "Besides, what does that make you? Your voice is so loud and sounds like a horn!"

Naruto widened his eyes. "A—A horn? Why, you!"

He pounced on Sasuke and pushed him to the ground. They scuffled, tumbling around and scratching each other's arms like wild cats. Naruto gritted his teeth when Sasuke grabbed his arm and rolled over onto his back, pinning it down.

"Take that back!" Sasuke said, not letting go.

Naruto struggled in his grasp. "Let me go, pipsqueak!"

"No!"

"Then don't call me a horn!"

"Don't call me a pipsqueak!"

"I'm not taking it back until you let me go!"

"You first!"

"Nuh-uh, you first!"

They struggled some more until Naruto groaned and smacked his forehead on the ground. "Okay, okay, I give! Let me go! You're hurting my arm!"

Sasuke gasped softly before quickly releasing him. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to press it that hard."

Panting, Naruto rolled over until he lied on his back. The sky was blue, with hints of orange and purple streaking in the horizon. "Hey," he said. "Why aren't your parents here yet? I thought you'd be home by now or something."

Sasuke frowned at the sudden question. He looked down at his hands. "My brother picks me up."

Naruto perked up. "You have a brother?"

Sasuke looked at him weirdly again. "You don't know Itachi? Uchiha Itachi?"

Naruto hummed in thought. Maybe it was from their scuffle or the bucket punishment earlier, but his mind was blank and nothing came up, not even a face, and he was usually good with faces. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

Sasuke gaped at him. "Why don't you—Do you live under a rock? My brother's, like, the strongest shinobi ever!"

Naruto sat up. "Eh? What are you talking about? The Hokage is the strongest shinobi!"

Sasuke scowled. "No! My brother's already in the ANBU and he's only 12!"

Naruto's jaw just dropped. ANBU were those weird people with animal masks that sometimes visited Jiji in his office. Jiji had told him that they were strong shinobi that he trusted with his life and that was saying something. But at 12? What was this kid saying?

"You're lying," he said. "Only strong people can be in the ANBU!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's my point! My brother's really strong!" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why do you think he's in the ANBU in the first place, dummy? He was the smartest in his class in the Academy, too!"

Naruto made a face. "That doesn't mean anything."

Sasuke huffed. "Yes, it does. He graduated when he was 7."

Naruto widened his eyes. "S—Seven? We're only 6!"

Sasuke puffed his chest. "I just turned 7 in July."

Naruto scrutinized him for a second before his lips curled into a grin. "It's not like you're graduating or anything. You're still here, aren't ya?"

Sasuke turned red again. "S—Shut up!" He looked away. "My brother's better than me. I'm not smart or strong like him. That's why I have to train harder, so I can't get behind."

That sounded…really sad. Naruto tilted his head. He always thought Sasuke was a goody two-shoes. Everyone loved him and well, he wasn't _that_ bad. Kind of annoying with all those fangirls but not _bad_. Shaking his head, Naruto crossed his legs. "Hey, I mean, your brother sounds cool and everything but it's not like you're him. That's kind of weird." He scratched his cheek. Kami, his words never seemed to come out right. "What I mean is, uh, you're…Sasuke. Not…Itami?"

"Itachi," Sasuke corrected. "Get it right, dummy."

"Whatever." Naruto waved him off. "You get what I mean, right?"

"No," Sasuke deadpanned.

Naruto scowled at him frustration. "And you're calling me the dummy? Look at you!"

Sasuke scoffed. "You don't even make sense. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know! Aren't you the smart one here? Figure it out! Make it make sense!"

"It doesn't even make sense in the first place!"

"I just told you to make it make sense!"

"You're—You're stupid!"

"Hah? Look who's talking! You can't even do something so easy like figuring out what I just said. A smart person would probably get it already!"

Both boys heaved for breath, glaring each other down. Soon, Naruto's lips twitched into a smile despite himself. Sasuke blinked before doing the same a bit shyly. A warm feeling spread in Naruto's chest. He didn't know what it was but it felt kind of nice. Weird, but nice.

"You're not too bad," Naruto said.

Sasuke smiled faintly. "You too."

Inhaling deeply, Naruto sighed out loud. A nice breeze kicked in then. "Hey, you're from the Uchiha Clan, right?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Is there a Nagi in your family? Or someone you know named Nagi?"

Sasuke tensed. "What do you mean?"

Naruto furrowed his brows. "I'm pretty sure I was clear there, I think."

Sasuke looked down at the ground, his bangs hiding his face. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious." Naruto tilted his head. "So do you?"

A bout of silence passed. Sasuke didn't speak for a while until he said, "Nagi-nee-chan is my cousin."

"Eh? Really?"

Sasuke nodded. "She's…really hurt now though. She's in the hospital. I don't know if she's going to wake up."

Naruto's breath hitched. His heart picked up its pace. "What do you mean she's not going to wake up?"

"That's what the doctors said. But Auntie said she'd be okay." Sasuke scowled at his feet. "Otou-san says there's no hope though. I don't know."

Naruto was almost afraid to ask the question. "What happened to her?"

Sasuke pursed his lips. "Why do you want to know anyway? Do you know her?"

"Oh, um." Naruto wasn't sure if he could tell Sasuke about Tsuna. Haru had even asked him to promise to keep their meeting a secret and stuff. "I just heard stuff. Do you know someone named Sawada?"

Sasuke looked up then, his eyes terrified, catching Naruto off-guard. "Don't say his name! It's bad luck."

Naruto blinked. "Bad luck?"

Sasuke nodded vehemently. "That's what Auntie and Otou-san said. Sawada Tsunayoshi is the reason why Nagi-onee-chan is in the hospital."

Naruto suddenly felt cold. "Hey, what are you talking about? You're joking, right?"

Sasuke furrowed his brows. "Why would I be joking? I'm not. That's what Otou-san said. He never lies."

Before Naruto could respond, someone walked up to the Academy gates. It was a young boy a few years older than them who kind of looked like Sasuke. His hair was in a low ponytail and he looked really familiar. Naruto tilted his head. Oh, he'd seen him around sometimes. He was pretty nice to him and even had helped him get some books he couldn't reach in the library. It wasn't like Naruto didn't read, he just liked looking at the pictures. Besides, the library was quiet and the lady there was nice to him, too.

Sasuke stood up and waved at the other boy. "That's my brother! I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto!" After taking a few steps, he paused. "If you see Sawada, run away. That's what Otou-san told me. You'll end up in the hospital like Nagi-nee-chan or…"

"Or?" Naruto said. "Or what?"

Sasuke looked away. "Be killed. Otou-san said his team died because of him. He killed them."

Naruto could only stare in silence as Sasuke ran over to hug his brother, grinning and chatting rapidly about Kami knew what. He blinked when Itachi gave him a slight smile before holding his brother's hand and walking away.

The sun was setting in the horizon, but everything looked hazy. Tsuna…wasn't a killer. He helped Naruto then. Killers didn't help kids. They didn't _do_ that. They…just hurt people, right?

Still, a small part of him wondered, " _Was he?_ "

* * *

 **A/N Oof, and the ball is rolling. Get ready, peeps. It's going to get wild. :^)**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


	3. Chapter 3

" _It's the things we carry silently within ourselves which are the heaviest burdens."_ – John Mark Green

* * *

Ramen wasn't enough to make Naruto feel any better, even if he ate 3 bowls already. The customers in Ichiraku Ramen sounded like bees in his ears, one buzzing word after another that he didn't pay attention to. Ayame soon came around to refill his cup with water. She frowned. "Naruto-kun, are you okay? You're not eating like you usually do."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm okay. Just…stuff."

Ayame giggled. "What kind of stuff? Come on, you can tell me anything!"

Naruto flushed a bit. "Oh, um, it's okay. I think I'll pass."

"Ayame, that table's been waiting for a while," Teuchi said, filling up two bowls with ramen. "Take these over there."

His daughter quickly took the bowls and scurried off, smiling sheepishly at the customers. Naruto stared down at his own ramen. There was some soup left but he didn't really feel like drinking it. He drank water that instead. Still, he didn't feel better. Sasuke's words were on a constant loop in his head.

" _Otou-san said his team died because of him. He killed them."_

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to make them stop, but Sasuke's annoying voice just kept coming back. It annoyed him! Everything annoyed him! Was Tsuna really a killer? His team—Did he really kill them? But…

"You seem to have a lot on your mind, Naruto."

The boy looked up, meeting Teuchi's kind gaze. He swung his feet a little from his stool; his toes didn't even touch the ground. "I don't know," he said. "Just…there's a lot of stuff."

Teuchi chuckled. "Seems like a lot for a young boy." He continued chopping some scallions on his cutting board. "I haven't seen you in a while, too. Are you taking care of yourself?"

Naruto huffed. "Of course I am! I'm still here, ya know."

"I'm asking because you seemed troubled. Care to tell this old man what got you all bottled up?"

Naruto's hands gripped his cup tightly. He felt like sinking into the ground and living with the worms. Talking it out, or as Jiji said, "letting out your feelings", was never Naruto's thing. He wasn't good at knowing how or what he felt in the first place, so how was he supposed to explain anything? Plus, he wasn't a _girl_ who got all sad or anything. He was just…confused.

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, it's something I don't get. It's weird."

Teuchi smiled kindly. "Take your time, Naruto. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Want another bowl? It's on the house."

Naruto's lips curled into a smile despite himself. "Yeah, thanks, old man."

After Teuchi took his bowl away, Naruto was left to ponder over his messy words. They weren't even his—they were _Sasuke's_. On repeat. Every. Single. Second. Groaning, he tugged his hair. How did he get into this mess anyways? All he wanted was to tell Tsuna "hey, thanks for helping me back there", and then something interesting slapped him in the face. Okay, what Sasuke said was scary but Naruto didn't know what to think anymore.

"Hey, old man," he said. Teuchi hummed in response as he slid another bowl of miso ramen in front of Naruto. "Uh, let's say you got into a pinch or something and someone helps you out, like a stranger. You don't know him and he doesn't know you." Naruto picked up some noodles with his chopsticks. "And before you can actually tell the guy thank you, you hear that he…" Faltering, Naruto slurped his ramen to distract himself. This was way too hard.

"Yeah?" Teuchi said, prepping another bowl.

After Naruto swallowed his ramen, he looked down at his bowl. "You hear…weird stuff."

"What kind of weird stuff?"

Naruto furrowed his brows. He wasn't sure if Teuchi would react like Sasuke did if he mentioned Tsuna's name, even if he was nice. Also, Naruto just couldn't say his name.

" _Don't say his name! It's bad luck."_

"Like, you hear that he…killed people."

Teuchi didn't seem fazed as he handed Ayame another batch of orders. He wiped his hands on his apron and looked at Naruto with no hate in his eyes. "Anything else?"

"Oh, um…" Naruto averted his gaze down to his swinging feet. His voice came out as a whisper. "They said he killed his own team." He looked up quickly, his eyes wide. "That's not true, right? Right? It can't be!"

But would Sasuke lie? Would his _father_ lie?

Teuchi seemed to sag a bit. Sighing softly, he grabbed some more carrots and scallions. "I see."

Naruto blinked. "See? See what?"

"Rumors are rumors, Naruto. How can everyone know everything that happened, you get what I'm sayin'?" Teuchi minced some carrots on his board. "People who spread rumors aren't nice folks. They're meant to hurt and to lie. But who knows for sure? The truth lies at the source."

Naruto frowned. It just seemed more confusing. "What source? What's that?"

Teuchi set his knife down. "You won't know unless you ask the person, but sometimes, it's not that easy. Things can be complicated. You remember when you came here the first time?" He pointed at a tree some feet away while Naruto nodded. "You stood right there, right where I could see you. I asked you if you wanted to stay but you got spooked."

Naruto scowled. "I wasn't scared!" He swirled his ramen around with his chopsticks. "I was just…not sure."

Teuchi chuckled softly. "I bet you ran all the way home after that."

"No, I didn't!" Naruto remembered that day pretty well. It was just a few months ago before Teuchi and Ayame welcomed him with open arms. He ran away because…he wasn't sure if their kindness was real or not. No one liked him in the village so he thought they didn't either. Also, he didn't go home after that. "I went to Jiji!"

Teuchi sighed. "If you keep addressing Hokage-sama like that, it's rude, Naruto."

Naruto pouted. "Jiji doesn't mind."

"Anyways, you understand what I mean, right? You and I were both here on that day but we remember it differently. I didn't know where you went after you ran off and just guessed you went back home, but you didn't. Since we're talking about it now and I asked you, I now know that you didn't."

Naruto scratched his head. Huh, he kind of got it. Maybe. "So, I should ask him what happened and get his story, right?"

Teuchi's smile strained a bit. "You could do that."

"Huh? Did I get it wrong then?"

"Oh, no, Naruto. You got it right, but just asking the person what happened is too sudden, right?"

"But you asked me about that day, just like that!"

Teuchi nodded, resuming on making his two bowls. "Yes, but consider how different our situations are. I know you and you know me. You said that he was a stranger. How would you feel if someone you didn't know just asked you if went home crying that day or not?"

Naruto huffed. "Not good."

Teuchi chuckled. "Of course not. It's very insensitive. Since we know each other, it's not that awkward, is it?"

"No." Naruto frowned. "Then what do I do?"

"Timing is important. Get to know him and find the best time to ask."

Naruto tilted his head. "How do I do that?"

He squeaked when Teuchi suddenly ruffled his hair. "You'll know. Don't worry. Hurry and eat, Naruto. The ramen will get cold."

Feeling a bit better, Naruto grinned. "Right! Can I get another bowl, too?"

"Of course! It's on the house!"

* * *

It wasn't too late out when Naruto left the ramen stand. Waving his goodbye, he took off towards his apartment. Some villagers wandered around at night, mostly at the bars where he saw a handful of shinobi. His head hurt from thinking too much earlier so he decided to just go home and sleep rather than hearing their stories. He also thought that he wouldn't be able to stomach them anyway.

Naruto snuck into an alleyway without any trouble. He knew most of Konoha's streets like the back of his hand after spending some time running away from the victims of his pranks. He gazed up at the Hokage Monument underneath the starry sky. His lips curled into a big grin at the thought of having his face up there one day. No, he _was_ going to have his face up there!

Something fluttered at the corner of his eye. Naruto gaped when he saw Tsuna—the man was Tsuna, without a doubt—dash past him and leap onto the roof. It happened so quickly that Naruto didn't even have the chance to blink. He quickly snapped out of his daze. "W—Wait!"

Scrambling towards the exit, Naruto ran as fast as he could to follow the man. He ended up running in mindless zigzags before realizing that he had lost him again. He cried out in frustration and kicked a rock on the floor. Every time. Why was he so _slow_? Shaking his head, he started running again, bumping into some villagers and yelling apologies along the way. There was no one on the roofs and no one who looked like Tsuna at all around him.

His legs gave out some time later before he collapsed underneath a tree. Panting, he looked around to find himself in one of those training fields that some Genin trained in. Naruto sighed loudly and leaned back against the tree bark. " _Hah_ , where did he go? Seriously, he's like a ghost."

He tensed when he heard something rustle above him. When he noticed that it was only the wind, he relaxed a bit until he heard voices. There was someone there. Naruto stood up and jogged over to where the noises were coming from. As he drew closer, he heard two, no, three voices. A group of men were huddled in a circle ; they looked like Chuunin, except for one man who was a Jounin, and they looked angry.

Naruto's breath hitched when one of the Chuunin shoved someone's shoulders. It was Tsuna!

"You got some nerve showing your face in the village," the Chuunin said. "My sister saw you in the hospital last week. What, feeling guilty about what you did? It's too late, you piece of shit!"

Naruto covered his mouth to stop himself from making any noise, flinching when the man punched Tsuna across the face. His scary-looking friend hauled Tsuna up by the collar of his shirt. Still, Tsuna didn't make any move to fight back, to counter what the man said. Naruto's heart was practically in his throat. He didn't breathe.

"You don't know how long I've waited for this, Sawada," the man said, spitting on the ground. "This is for my sister, you bastard!"

Naruto gasped when the man took out a kunai from his back pouch and aimed it over Tsuna's eyes. Immediately, the men all froze and looked his way. Body frozen, Naruto couldn't bring himself to move. He silently prayed that they wouldn't find him but his prayers weren't answered. He yelped when someone grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him out of his hiding spot. Dirt went in his mouth as he tumbled on the ground.

Shaking his head, he tried to get away but the scary Jounin placed his foot over his chest. Naruto grunted from the sudden weight and struggled underneath him. "L—Let me go!"

The Chuunin that punched Tsuna before lightly kicked Naruto's head. "Found a little rat, eh?"

"Don't touch him," Tsuna said, wiping the blood away from his lips.

Naruto widened his eyes. His chest filled up with that small feeling from before when he talked to Sasuke. The Jounin tilted his head. "Hm? Is this brat yours?"

The Chuunin with glasses smirked. "Figures. You look good together, you know. It fits since you're both mur—"

"Shut up," Tsuna said, looking up. His arm was draped over his bent knee. Naruto gulped. He had a bad feeling about this. Damn it, why didn't he just stay _quiet_? "Leave him alone. He's just a kid."

"I—I'm not a kid!" Naruto said. He tensed when he realized what he just said.

"Hey." The glasses Chuunin patted the Jounin's shoulder. "Let him up."

Tsuna pursed his lips as the Jounin removed his foot. Air filled Naruto's lungs a little easier now. He glared at them suspiciously. Something was up. They wouldn't just let him go. He yelped when the other Chuunin grabbed his hair, hauling him up. Something sharp suddenly pressed against his neck, making him freeze.

"This is convenient," the Chuunin said. "Killing two birds with one stone right, Tanaka?"

The Jounin, Tanaka, looked down at Naruto in disgust. "You're right, Mori. We'll be doing the village a favor for taking out the trash."

"W—What are you doing?" Naruto said, his hands balling into fists. "Let me go! I'm not—"

He squeaked when the kunai dug harder into his neck. Something wet dripped from the spot. Blood—he was bleeding.

"Shut up, you little br—!"

Naruto widened his eyes when Mori let go of him, the kunai falling to the ground. He turned around just to see Tsuna slam the man headfirst into the ground. Everything became a blur after that, _literally_. The glasses Chuunin was the next to fall before Tsuna appeared again in front of a gaping Tanaka. The Jounin gritted his teeth and tried to kick Tsuna in the stomach but the other man was faster. He ducked, then grabbed Tanaka's leg, hurling a man twice his size to the ground. Tanaka cried out in pain before he didn't move again.

Mind hazy, Naruto could barely register what happened. He stared at the men on the ground. They weren't moving. The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his daze. He looked up to see Tsuna gazing down at him. The man's eyes were a light brown, reminding Naruto of the caramel sweets he'd see in the candy shops.

"Are they dead?" Naruto whispered, unable to look away.

"No," Tsuna said. His voice was soft but firm, as if he wasn't being beaten up a while ago. "They're just unconscious."

Naruto's shoulders sagged before he smiled brightly. "That's good! You know, I thought you actually killed them." He laughed awkwardly just as he realized his mistake.

 _Crap, why did I say that?_ he thought. _I'm such an idiot!_

Tsuna slightly tensed but didn't move away. Instead, he reached out hand to tilt Naruto's chin up, making the boy blink. He swiped his thumb over the small trickle of blood. "You're fine now. Go home."

Before Tsuna could disappear, Naruto quickly grabbed his hand. "Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that! My mouth works faster than my brain sometimes and I don't know what I'm saying half the time, too!"

Tsuna raised a brow, making Naruto blush. "It's fine."

Naruto didn't let go of Tsuna's hand. It felt oddly warm and he just didn't want him to go, not yet, not when he finally had him here. "I—I wanted to find you. That's why I was with Haru-nee-chan. I don't know if you remember but you helped me last week! With that old man! Remember?" Tsuna didn't say anything. Naruto's heart hammered against his chest, almost painful. Unconsciously, he tightened hands around Tsuna's slim fingers. "You remember, right? And—And you helped me again, too! Just now! By the way, that was really cool! Are you a shinobi? What rank? Are you really strong, like Jiji? No one would've done that for me!"

Tsuna looked at him blankly. "Is that all?"

Naruto flinched. "Oh—I, um…" He bit his lip. "C—Can you walk me home? I don't know…how to go back."

A bout of silence fell in the small clearing. Naruto didn't back down for a _second_. He didn't look away from Tsuna, who stared at him for a good moment or two. He looked…sad. Naruto wondered what was going on his head and wished he could read minds or something. That would make things so much easier. Finally, Tsuna said, "Lying isn't a good habit."

"Huh?" was Naruto's smart response.

Tsuna gently shook Naruto's hands off of his. "Go ahead."

"W—Wait!"

"I'll follow you."

Naruto widened his eyes. "Really?"

"It won't help you if the others see me with you. I won't be far."

"Promise?" Tsuna nodded. Naruto couldn't help but grin. "Okay!"

* * *

With a small skip in his step, Naruto had never felt so happy about going to his apartment. Every second, he'd look over his shoulder and try to see if Tsuna was actually there. He had to give it to him though. Tsuna was really good at hiding. Naruto rubbed his throat where Tsuna had cleaned his blood. The cut wasn't there anymore. Maybe Tsuna was like Haru and could heal things, too! Naruto frowned. He didn't see any green stuff though. Also, why didn't Tsuna just hide from those men? He was really strong and fast, too! They couldn't even do anything!

Naruto shook his head. His head hurt from too much thinking. When he climbed up to the second floor of his building, he quickly found his room and entered. After turning on the lights and slipping his shoes off, he dashed over to the windows, flinging them open to see if Tsuna was anywhere around. He wilted when he found no sign of the man, just empty rooftops and the moon in the night sky.

"He promised me," he muttered.

Suddenly, a blur appeared in front of him, making him yelp and fall onto his butt. Tsuna crouched on his window ledge, frowning. "I'm sorry," he said, reaching out a hand.

Naruto just stared at him in awe. "You came."

Tsuna quirked a brow. "A promise is a promise."

Naruto almost swooned. "You're so cool! I wish I can be an awesome shinobi like you!"

Tsuna pursed his lips. "Keep your voice down. People are sleeping."

A crash came from the room next door. Probably another plate. Laughing awkwardly, Naruto scratched his cheek. "Well, they're not." He grabbed Tsuna's hand and hauled himself up to his feet with the other man's help. "Do you need anything? Oh right, you're still hurt! You can sit on my bed." He laughed sheepishly. "It's kind of messy but it's really comfy."

"I have to go."

The smile dropped from Naruto's face. "Oh…"

Before Tsuna could go, Naruto gripped his hand. "Wait here, please! I'm going to get you something real quick! Don't move! I'll have my eyes on you!"

He dashed towards his small dresser and pulled the top drawer. After Naruto found what he was looking for, he returned to the window where Tsuna was. Smiling, he handed the man a small brown container. "Here. Take it. I got it from a girl in my class." He laughed a bit. "I forgot her name but she's pretty nice. Kind of creepy. She has these purple eyes that have no, um, I'm not sure what it's called but they're a little scary. Anyways, she gave this to me on field day when Kiba tripped me and it's really good! My cuts disappeared really fast! It can help you!"

Tsuna shook his head. "I can't take that."

Naruto froze. "But…But it helps."

"I'll be fine."

Naruto looked down at his feet. "I just wanted to do something for you because you helped me…twice."

A bout of silence passed. Finally, a hand reached out for the ointment. Naruto's breath hitched when he looked up and saw Tsuna raise it a bit.

"I'll take it," he said, "so don't cry."

Naruto scowled. "I—I wasn't crying!"

Tsuna's lips slightly twitched. When Naruto blinked, the smile was gone. Did he just imagine it? "I'll be going now."

"Wait!" Naruto jabbed a thumb against his chest. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto and I'm going to become Hokage one day, dattebayo!"

Internally, he cringed. _How lame!_ he thought.

Tsuna stood up then, shaking his legs. He pocketed the ointment in his black pants. "Thank you. Good night, Naruto."

With that, he vanished in a blur. Naruto blinked a couple of times. That felt…like a dream, and yet, he couldn't help but feel happy. He leaned out the window, not caring if he woke up the neighbors. "I hope we can meet again!"

There was no response as expected, but Naruto smiled anyways. The next morning, he found the ointment on top of his dresser with a small note: _Thank you. Sawada Tsunayoshi._

He stared at the piece of paper for hours and ended up missing his lessons that day.

* * *

 **A/N And they finally meet! :^D**

 **Thank you for reading! I hope to see you again in the next chapter.**

 **Have a lovely day~**

 **Little Miss Bunny**


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